Gozo Business Chamber says Mgarr Harbour infrastructure should be expanded through land reclamation

The Gozo Business Chamber had recommended that the Mgarr Harbour infrastructure should be expanded through land reclamation, as part of its proposals for the 2026 Budget.

The Gozo Business Chamber on Friday presented its proposals for the Budget, as it added that the proposals reflect the Chamber’s commitment to promote a more resilient, competitive, and inclusive economy for Gozo.

The Chamber stated that its proposals highlight both the economic opportunities and structural bottlenecks which continue to define Gozo’s development trajectory.

It said that the proposals are based on the long-term vision of the Gozo Regional Development Strategy, as well as the latest Gozo Business Sentiment Survey results, which were conducted jointly with the Gozo Regional Development Authority.

Going over its proposals, it said that with regard to accessibility and connectivity, it suggests that the Mgarr Harbour infrastructure should be expanded through land reclamation and integrated with future electrification needs. It continued that Gozo Channel operations should be upgraded by implementing maintenance planning, contingency measures, and scalable capacity. Additionally, the Chamber said that transparent governance of priority passes should be ensured with quarterly reporting and oversight by an independent board.

It also suggested that the fast ferry service should be expanded, particularly with regard to peak periods and underserved time slots, along with upgrading Cirkewwa terminal management through smart systems and digital queueing.

Going over proposals for economic diversification and digitalisation, the Chamber said that the Gozo Innovation Hub should be transformed into a dynamic tech and business centre with modular workspaces and strategic partnerships. It added that a digitalisation incentive scheme offering 40% to 60% cashback on SME digital investments should be launched, and continued that a digital audit voucher programme should be introduced to assess and support digital readiness among Gozitan SMEs.

Other suggestions included the facilitation of business internationalisation through specific support targeted toward the participation of Gozitan-based enterprises in foreign trade fairs, as well as the establishment of a Valletta-based ‘Gozo Showcase’ networking space. It added that a Gozo enterprise one-stop hub should be established within the Gozo Innovation Hub.

Presenting its proposals for the subject of human capital and workforce development, the Chamber said that a migrant workforce integration unit should be established in Gozo to offer onboarding support, legal guidance, and language or cultural training. It continued that sector-specific training should be introduced at MCAST Gozo, particularly mentioning AI, renewables, agri-tech, tourism-tech, and ICT. It also suggested that Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo should be expanded into a full-fledged support framework with mentoring, seed funding, and prototyping.

With regard to employee well-being in micro enterprises, the Chamber suggested that a Gozo micro enterprise well-being support scheme should be introduced with annual support up to €3,000. Continuing, it suggested that HR and well-being advisory sessions focused on small business realities should be offered, and added that a work-life balance toolkit with templates, practices, and local examples should be distributed as well. It also said that an awareness campaign should be launched with the aim of promoting well-being across Gozo’s business community.

Another topic discussed by the Chamber was to do with real estate and heritage preservation, where it said that fiscal incentives for long-term co-ownership transfers should be introduced in order to enable smoother internal transactions. It added that such schemes for properties of cultural or heritage significance should be prioritised, encouraging stewardship and architectural continuity.

The Chamber stated that these proposals are designed to address immediate operational issues and to lay the groundwork for long-term economic transformation. It said that it is continuing to advocate for policy solutions which reflect Gozo’s specific regional, geographic, demographic, and infrastructural realities, while also aligning with national and EU-level strategies.